Chapter 52: The Ominous Blade, and the Unforgettable Moment
Elder Ma did not disappoint Ji Lin's expectations.
From the third-level Spirit Paralysis Ray at the very beginning of the auction, to the second-to-last bottle of fourth-level Spirit Milk, everything fell into Elder Ma's hands—one item after another.
On the surface, everything appeared ordinary…
Yet behind the scenes, Elder Ma faced fierce resistance throughout the auction.
Especially from the man seated in the front row.
Every single time, he was the one who competed with Elder Ma until the very end—raising the price, pressing forward, refusing to back down.
But unfortunately for him, he did not win even once.
Showing off wealth in front of the Royal Sun Moon Academy of Spirit Tool Engineers?
He should first take a good look at himself in the mirror.
The Sun Moon Empire was so wealthy that it had reached a point where nothing remained except money itself.
Even when the prices of certain spirit tools soared to three times their original value, Elder Ma did not even blink.
At worst…
The Ma Family would cover the difference later.
That was what Elder Ma calmly thought to himself.
And in order to satisfy Ji Lin, he spared nothing—neither money nor effort.
When Ji Lin finally opened his eyes, the auction was already nearing its end.
The moment Elder Ma noticed that he had awakened, he spoke immediately:
"Young Master, as you instructed, we have won every spirit tool in this auction. Only the final item remains."
Ji Lin nodded slightly.
"Good work, Elder Ma."
Elder Ma bowed deeply, his manner respectful and disciplined.
"This is the least this old man should do."
As they spoke, movement began on the auction platform.
The final item was being brought out.
Although Ji Lin already knew what it was, he could not stop a faint tension from rising in his chest.
— Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife.
A cart draped in red cloth was slowly pushed toward the center of the platform.
Ji Lin knew very well that He Yuhao had failed here because of his own impulsiveness…
And he would never repeat the same mistake.
When the cart reached the center, Xu Jiujiu—the auction's host—gave a brief introduction, then reached out and lifted the red cloth.
For the first time, the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife appeared before Ji Lin's eyes.
The blade was about half a foot long.
Its thickness was no greater than a finger.
Its width tapered gradually from bottom to top—broad at the base, sharp at the tip.
The lower edge was about half an inch wide.
The metal was ancient black, engraved with faint, mysterious runes.
From it emanated a heavy, archaic aura—both ominous and majestic at the same time.
When the audience saw the blade, those who did not recognize its value let out disappointed sighs,
while the eyes of those who understood widened in silent shock.
Amid the murmurs of the crowd, Xu Jiujiu began her detailed explanation,
and the audience wavered between curiosity and confusion.
When everyone finally realized that this was no ordinary weapon—
but the legendary Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife—
Silence descended upon the entire hall.
Even those seated in the front row were left stunned.
With a professional smile, Xu Jiujiu said,
"Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife. The starting price is one hundred thousand Spirit Gold Coins. The minimum increase is five thousand. You may begin bidding now, honored guests."
Despite her composed smile, a trace of hidden sorrow stirred within her.
Judging from the crowd's reaction, it seemed that this blade would be left without a buyer once again.
One hundred thousand Spirit Gold Coins.
Just as Qing Ya was beginning to lose hope—
Ji Lin's voice rang out across the hall.
He raised his bidding plaque.
Number 66.
Xu Jiujiu froze in place.
Her eyes widened in genuine astonishment.
She had not expected anyone to make a bid.
And for a brief moment…
she even forgot to respond.
After leaving the auction house, I did not waste a single moment.
I activated the Flying Thunder technique, and felt the world vanish around me in a flash of lightning, until I found myself standing before my one and only destination.
The place where she was…
Jiang Nannan.
The second round was about to begin.
She would soon enter the battle, facing opponents who knew no mercy.
But before that…
Before she stepped into that storm…
I wanted to give her something.
A gift…
A moment…
A memory.
I wanted to hold her in my arms that night, to be her final refuge before the war began.
After a moment
Inside the room…
The light was soft and dim, flowing like warm golden threads from the small crystal lamp hanging on the wall.
The night was silent.
Silent to a frightening degree.
Nothing could be heard except our breathing… my breath and Nannan's breath intertwining, as if we were breathing together with a single soul.
She was still in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder, her silky hair flowing over my chest like a soft black waterfall.
The warmth of her body…
That warmth slowly seeped into me, melting every trace of cold in my heart, like a silent promise of peace.
I did not speak.
And neither did she.
But the silence between us…
That silence was not emptiness. It was the most beautiful conversation two hearts could ever share.
As if our souls were speaking in a language that needed no words—
a language older than time itself.
I slowly extended my hand, moving with extreme care, as if afraid the moment would shatter if I moved too fast.
I brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her face, my fingertips touching her cheek, feeling its gentle warmth.
Then I whispered in a low voice, one that almost melted into the air:
"When I see you… the whole world feels like it grows quiet."
I paused, looking at her closed eyes.
"It's as if the chaos in my heart… all that noise, all those storms… disappear the moment you smile."
I saw her cheeks tremble slightly.
Very lightly… but I saw it.
Her breathing grew faster, uneven, as if she had forgotten how to breathe for a moment.
Then… slowly… she opened her eyes.
Those eyes.
Eyes that held all the stars in the sky.
She looked at me, and within her gaze was something beyond words—
something deep, painful, and beautiful all at once.
She closed her eyes again and spoke in a soft voice, like a breeze brushing through leaves at midnight:
"And I…"
She paused, as if searching for the right words… or perhaps afraid to speak them.
"Every time I get close to you… I forget everything around me… even myself."
Those words.
Those words alone…
Were enough.
Enough to make my heart tighten, then burst with feelings too great to contain.
I held her more tightly, until there was no space left between us—
not even the space of a single breath.
We became closer than any distance in this world could measure.
I heard her heartbeat.
Thump… thump… thump…
Blending with my own.
Thump… thump… thump…
One rhythm.
One pulse.
As if we had become a single being, breathing with two souls.
She lifted her head slightly, slowly, as if carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
She looked at me.
Her eyes—those eyes reflecting the dim light of the lamp—
sparkled like tiny stars that had fallen from the sky and settled in her gaze.
And in that look… I saw everything.
Everything she did not say.
Everything that could not be said.
She spoke shyly, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind:
"Ji Lin…"
She paused, biting her lower lip, then continued:
"If this night could stop here…
if time could freeze at this very moment…
I would never ask the world for anything ever again."
I smiled.
A sad, warm smile, filled with everything I could not put into words.
I gently stroked her hair, as if touching a precious treasure, then leaned down and whispered in her ear—a whisper only the night could hear:
"Then… let us make the night last, Nannan."
I paused, feeling her warm breath against my neck.
"For you… I would stop time itself if I had to."
I rested my forehead against hers.
Slowly… gently… as if placing a crown upon a queen's head.
I felt the warmth of her skin, the warmth of her breath mixing with mine.
That warmth…
the warmth flowing from her into me, filling every emptiness, every scar, every old wound.
And for a moment…
just one moment…
There was nothing in this vast world except us.
Her and me.
A room bathed in the soft silver moonlight filtering through thin curtains.
And a moment…
a single, eternal moment.
That night passed…
It passed like a dream.
A warm, honest dream, filled with things never spoken, yet saying everything in its own way.
A dream I never wanted to wake from.
In the morning…
I woke to a gentle warmth filling my chest—a warmth that had become a part of me.
Nannan was still sleeping in my arms, protected, safe, as if she were in another world where troubles could not reach her.
Her long flowing hair brushed against my face, softly, like threads of silk against my skin.
Her steady breathing… that calm melody I never grew tired of hearing, as if it were music played by angels.
I kept staring at her face.
For a long time… a very long time.
The serenity that covered her sleeping features, the innocence resting on her lips, was enough to silence every noise inside me—every conflict, every fear.
I gently extended my hand, carefully brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek.
She murmured.
A soft, gentle sound, like a child dreaming of beautiful dreams.
Then… slowly…
She opened her eyes.
Those beautiful eyes that carried all the warmth in the world.
She looked at me, a shy, sleepy smile forming on her lips.
"Hm… good morning, Ji Lin."
I smiled, feeling my heart melt.
I said softly, with a hint of teasing, as I played with a lock of her hair:
"Good morning… to the one who stole my sleep, my heart, and my soul all at once."
She laughed softly, a laugh like the chime of a silver bell on a quiet morning.
Then, as if embarrassed by her own laughter, she hid her face against my chest.
I felt the warmth of her cheeks against my skin, that lovely shyness that only made her even more enchanting.
Her hoarse, gentle voice, filled with warmth, whispered so softly it was almost inaudible:
"Will you say words like that… every morning?"
I smiled and held her even closer, until no space remained between us.
I said in a calm voice, yet firm like a promise carved in stone:
"As long as you are by my side… every morning will begin with you… and end with you."
A quiet silence settled between us.
A silence that was not empty, but filled with everything.
There was nothing in it but the whispers of our mingled breaths, and the warmth of closeness that needed no words.
Then… slowly…
She lifted her head slightly.
She looked at me with those eyes that held all the stars in the sky.
And she smiled.
That smile.
The smile I do not think I could ever grow tired of, even if I lived a thousand years.
She spoke softly, with a touch of shyness, her voice trembling slightly:
"Does that mean… that we truly have become one from now on?"
I looked straight into her eyes.
Deeply… until I felt as though I could see her very soul.
And I answered with quiet certainty, in a voice like an eternal vow:
"Yes, Nannan…"
I paused and gently brushed her cheek.
"From this day on… I am yours, and you are mine. Nothing from now on… no force in this world… can separate us."